Cryptozoology of Russiya
In the dense forests, treacherous slopes and black seas of Russiya lurk all manner of creatures, some well-known, others shrouded in mystery, all surrounded by rumour – the Russiyans are a superstitious race. A few of the most notable of these beasts are listed below. ''Vampiri Both fabled and feared, the Vampiri are known throughout Russiya and the world as creatures of legend. Very little indeed is known about them – said to possess virtually human levels of intelligence, if they exist at all they live upon the very peak of Bol’shoĭ and feed on the blood and bone marrow of any creature unfortunate enough to cross them. Physically they appear humanoid (there are rumours of some level of shapeshifting), but are asexual and reproduce without breeding, making their numbers unknown – beyond this point, science blends with superstition and facts become hazy at best. The family Orlov, who have ruled Russiya since the revolution of 1300, view these creatures as sacred and the current Czar in particular treats them as nothing short of gods. No captured images of the Vampiri exist. Rusalki Russiya’s demonic Rusalki are a far sight from the beauteous sirens of lore. Lurking in the frigid depths of the Aegir Sea, these horrific creatures are, biologically, Vampiri long-since adapted to the water and evolved beyond recognition. Mottled skin, with colours ranging from green to brown to silver-blue, means they are nigh on impossible to spot in the water, and their tails are plated with reflective scales that bounce back any light both as further camouflage and to dazzle potential prey already in the water. What appears to be hairs on their head are in fact thousands of fibres similar to whiskers, which can be used to ‘see’ perfectly deep below the surface where light does not reach – indeed, some of the deeper-dwelling strains of Rusalki have lost the use of their eyes completely and rely entirely on echo-location and these whisker-like appendages to survive. Double-hinged jaws are filled with replenishing rows of razor-sharp, shark-like teeth – when a tooth falls or is knocked out, one from the row behind simply slides forwards to fill the gap. When hunting, the Rusalki do not discriminate, and they do not hesitate – they will take whoever and whatever enters their domain, dragging them deep below the surface to drown before draining the body of all fluids and feasting on the resultant field of bloody water. Of all the creatures in Russiya, the Rusalki – bloodthirsty, perfectly camouflaged and lightning-fast – are to be feared above all others. Zhar-ptitsa Though made legendary through myth and fable, the Zhar-ptitsa (or Firebirds) are, though rare, in fact flesh-and- blood creatures – enormous, bright-plumaged birds with wingspans known to stretch 15ft across, they roost in the crags and hollows of the mountain-range and only ascend to accessible heights during lightning-storms, in order to seek shelter – a habit which, along with their crimson-and-gold colouring, earned them their name, as their approach appears to bring fire down from the sky. In spite of their great size and brutal-looking talons, they are uncommonly gentle, trusting creatures, and legends exist of them sheltering wayward humans during the very storms that drive them down from the mountains. Despite this proof otherwise, however, in the superstitious way of the Russiyan people it is said that to see a Zhar-ptitsa is nevertheless an omen of death. lʹda The lʹda are a type of salamander – little ice-lizards adapted to the freezing wastes of Russiya. Anywhere from a few centimetres to a few feet long, they are relatively common throughout the land and, despite their fearsome appearance, are known for their docility – as such, they make very good pets and in a land rather too cold for the domestic cat can be used as a replacement of such, hunting mice and rats with gusto. Though generally calm, they have nevertheless developed a unique defence mechanism – nitrogen glands at the back of the throat allow them to freeze their saliva and spit it out in sharp bullets of ice at attackers, providing enough of a distraction for them to scuttle away. Upyrʹ'' There are two very different strains of Upyrʹ in Russiya. The first are the Shyeĭ Upyrʹ - mischievous goblins that populate the very outskirts of Chernyĭl Forest, not malevolent so much as impish. Similar in appearance to the Hobbes of Avalonia, the Shyeĭ like to keep as close to humans as possible and are quintessential scavengers…though commonly used as target practice by villagers. Some villages, however, have taken to domesticating them to an extent, and they can be used as pest-control in much the same way as the Iʹda. They feed off anything they are given, and pose little to no threat to human life. The second strain of Upyrʹ is quite different. Lurking deep within the depths of Chernyĭl Forest and ranging up towards the mountains, the Balʹshe Upyrʹ are truly nasty creatures. Rangier and more athletic than their lesser counterparts, they make their home in the trees themselves, using the cupped suckers on their hands and feet to clamber about effortlessly and even wield rudimentary weapons, such as shoddy spears. The Balʹshe have developed quite the taste for human flesh and prefer to take lost children whenever possible due to their manageable size – when they cannot find their prey of choice, however, they can swarm together to overwhelm animals as large as deer or even bears. Russiyans know never the traverse Chernyĭl in groups any smaller than five, and to never, ever take both eyes off the canopy above. Category:Cryptozoology